Landlocked Blues
by DamagedSpoon
Summary: Ginny and Draco reach an understanding of sorts, and a friendship soon follows. Will this become more, and who or what will get in their way?
1. Landlocked Blues

**Landlocked Blues**

**By: DamagedSpoon**

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Disclaimer: I don't own anything. I promise. :) I barely own the dirt stuck to my shoes. :)

If you walk away, I'll walk away  
First tell me which road you will take  
I don't want to risk our paths crossing some day  
So you walk that way, I'll walk this way

And the future hangs over our heads  
And it moves with each current event  
Until it falls all around like a cold steady rain  
Just stay in when it's looking this way

-Bright Eyes, "Landlocked Blues"

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Ginny sighed as she rested her arms against the cold stone ledge of the window in the Astronomy Tower. She was finally utterly alone. Having so many older brothers made that very difficult at home, but the first night back at Hogwarts always gave her the solitude that she was looking for. The train ride and the full bellies that everyone else now sported assured her that there was very little chance for her to be interrupted. She was almost lost in the beautiful night sky when she heard the door open behind her. Hoping the person would see the Tower was occupied and just leave, she didn't bother to turn around.

"So, the littlest Weasel thinks that sitting alone in the Astronomy Tower in the middle of the night is a good idea."

She turned her head slightly and saw the gleam of Draco Malfoy's silvery blonde hair and he made his way to stand beside her, leaning his side against the stone wall and crossing his arms over his chest. He turned his head to gaze out of the window she was occupying herself with.

"I just like to be alone. I thought perhaps whoever was coming in would get the hint," Ginny said, sighing. She leaned down and picked up her bag with one hand and turned to Malfoy.

"Look, I'm too tired to fight tonight. Could you get your comments in about me and my family later?"

He turned his head to look at her, a smirk gracing his features. If she hadn't known any better, she would have entertained the notion of how attractive his defined jaw line was, or how, with the moonlight shining down onto his hair and profile, he looked like a fallen angel. But Ginny did know better, so when those thoughts entered her mind, she pushed them back out without a moment's hesitance.

"Weaslette, no one said anything about insulting your family. In fact, I've only said one comment since I've come in, and if I recall correctly, it wasn't insulting," Draco said before turning back to the night sky.

Ginny was slightly taken aback.

"B-but you always make fun of my family, or something to that extent. How poor I am, or how red my brother's hair is."

Malfoy chuckled, which certainly startled Ginny. She took an involuntary step back, unsure as to handle this new Malfoy personality. He turned his whole body to her so that his back rested against the wall.

"If you haven't noticed, you do not have the same atrocious red hair that your brother sports like a banner. Yours is more subdued with brown, almost an auburn color. After a while, jokes about people's monetary status become old and repetitive. And, some people can change. Things happen that cause people to realize that the person that they have become is not the person that they want to be for the rest of their lives. The Golden Trio may not have risen above school rivalries and old grudges, but I most certainly have." Draco turned back to the window before continuing softly.

"I have way too much to think about and worry about to keep occupied for a while. I don't need to add more on top of that."

Ginny felt her heart melt against the previously malicious young man that was standing in front of her. A part of her felt that she should still be wary, since this was still the young man that had relentlessly taunted her family and friends for years, but another part of her told her that what he was saying was undeniably true. If he wanted to change, to become a better person, who was she to tell him no?

Ginny stepped back up to her spot beside Draco, resuming her same position looking up at the night sky, and they sat in amiable silence for a long time until Draco decided to speak.

"You don't trust me."

Ginny shook her head, continuing to stare at the stars.

"Then why stay here?"

Ginny dropped her gaze, looking down on the grounds below. Everything seemed so calm. She looked up at the pale boy who was now gazing down on her with an unreadable expression.

"Because everyone deserves a second chance. Because if you want to change, you probably still need friends, and I've never been one to turn down a friend, even if it was only a temporary friendship. And because what you said is true. People do change, and people do grow up."

Draco was very quiet for a long while, simply staring at Ginny's face. The look on his face was almost like he was trying to come to a decision about something. He finally just looked up at the sky again. She was about to do the same when he spoke.

"You were in my dreams this summer, and I don't know why."

She looked up at him, but he was steadfastly refusing to meet her gaze.

"What happened in these dreams?" Ginny was caught between wanting to know and wanting to not know.

"I don't remember them all specifically," he admitted, looking down at his hands, which were now resting on the ledge, "I just remember that in all of them I had to save you. It was so important that I had to save you. I'd wake up in cold sweats right before I could finish saving you. The house elves would sometimes be in my room when I awoke, trying to wake me up. They had heard me screaming all throughout the house."

Ginny was silent for a while before she smiled.

"Well, hopefully those dreams don't become reality. I really don't plan on needing saving any time soon."

"Let's hope not," Draco said solemnly. Pushing away from the wall, he moved to leave the Astronomy Tower. Without turning around, Ginny called out to him as he was opening the door.

"Malfoy?"

He halted in his steps, turning to listen to her, but not facing her completely.

"Yes?"

"Does this mean we're friends? For real?"

"Is that what you want it to mean?"

There was a long pause before she decided on her answer.

"Yes, I'd like that very much."

Draco didn't respond, he just turned back towards the door and walked out, shutting it softly behind him.

'Well, that certainly was different,' Ginny thought, staring up at the sky a few more minutes before deciding that she should head out as well. 'I wonder how this is going to turn out.'

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Please Read and Review? It's helpful? :)


	2. Calendar Hung Itself

Landlocked Blues

"Calendar Hung Itself"

By: DamagedSpoon

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Disclaimer: I don't own anything, otherwise I would be rich. Which I'm not. So there. :)

And I kissed a girl with a broken jaw that her father gave to her.  
She had eyes bright enough to burn me. They reminded me of yours.  
And in a story told she was a little girl in a red-rouge, sun-bruised field  
and there were rows of ripe tomatoes where a secret was concealed.

-Bright Eyes, "Calendar Hung Itself"

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Ginny woke up the next morning, grumpy and glad it wasn't the start of classes yet. Her dorm mates weren't up yet, and she decided that the growling from her stomach was more imperative than her wish for more sleep. Getting out of bed, she threw on a pair of grey sweat pants, a black tank top, and flip flops. She threw her shoulder length hair up into a messy bun and, grabbing the matching grey hoodie, made her way out the door.

Not surprised that the halls were empty at 9 o'clock the very first day back at school, she sauntered down the hall towards the Great Hall. When she got there, there was barely anyone there, so she sat down at the empty Gryffindor table and began to eat, thinking over the events of the night before.

'I wonder if this means an absolute change in his behavior? And are we really friends, or was that just something he said last night?'

Her musings were interrupted by Colin sitting down next to her.

"Hey Ginny," Colin said groggily, rubbing his eyes. Ginny smiled at one of her closer friends. Even though he was in his 7th year, and she was in her 6th, they had still managed to become close friends. She was the only person he had told that he was gay, and she had kept his secret quiet. He'd been admittedly gay since her 3rd year, and despite her attempts, still remained steadfastly opposed to letting anyone else know about it.

"So, where'd you disappear to last night?" Colin asked before taking a bite of his food.

"Oh, I went to the Astronomy Tower. I wanted to be alone. Ironically, it's hard to be alone with the Power Trio around. You know them, have to know everything about everyone at all times."

They both laughed at that.

"Yeah, I know what you mean there. I don't blame you. If I had to stay with all three of them all summer, I think I'd go out of my mind. Harry's a great bloke, and Ron and Hermione are great, too, but I think this whole adventure thing is going to their heads."

"You'll never guess who I talked to while I was in the Astronomy Tower last night," Ginny said, her voice no louder than a whisper to avoid being overheard.

Colin looked at her inquisitively.

"Draco Malfoy."

"Oh. Was everything okay? You didn't Bat Bogey Hex him again, did you?" Colin asked, chuckling.

Ginny laughed along with him. "No, no, we actually just talked. I was going to leave after I saw him come in, because I wasn't in the mood to be teased and insulted, and I said that, and he actually claims he wants to change. He says he has too much to worry about to bother with school and old family feuds."

At this, Colin quit eating and turned to Ginny. He was quiet for a long while before he spoke again.

"So, what's going to happen? Have you decided what you're going to do about this? I mean, are ya'll going to be friends now, or was that just a peace offering to get everyone off of his back?"

Ginny sighed, "I don't know what I'm going to do. I don't know what it means. What I do know, is that I'm done with breakfast and I'm still tired."

Colin laughed. "Then go back upstairs and get some more sleep while you still can."

Ginny laughed with him, and got up and made her way out of the Great Hall. She was about halfway to the Gryffindor Tower when two hands appeared out of nowhere, covering her mouth and wrapping around her midsection, and pulled her into an empty classroom. She was preparing to bite the offending hand on her mouth when it was suddenly removed, and the door that was now behind her was shut. She whirled around to face the offender and was shocked to find none other than Draco Malfoy himself, looking as aristocratic as ever, barely controlling a grin.

"What exactly do you think you're doing, Mr. Malfoy?" Ginny said, anger seeping out of her slowly. He looked at her very seriously before giving her an answer, the partial grin still in place.

"I wanted to talk to you," he said simply.

Ginny scoffed, "you could have done that without scaring the daylights out of me. Hell, you could have done it by coming up to me in the hall!"

Draco's smile fell, "no, I couldn't have."

Ginny narrowed her eyes at the blonde boy. "Why not? You said last night we're friends."

Draco's gaze went to the ceiling, the floor, the walls, anywhere but at her, and after a few minutes, Ginny started to get annoyed.

"Would you just tell me what the hell is going on, Draco?" Ginny said in frustration, not even realizing that she had used his first name. Draco, however, realized it, and grinned even bigger. Ginny wasn't sure how comfortable she was with that grin.

"Well, _Ginny_, I just wanted to talk in private."

Ginny's eyes narrowed. She was getting the feeling that this wasn't going to be going the way that she had hoped. She looked at him expectantly, but refrained from speaking.

"I just wanted to see if you were still up for being friends?" Draco asked, and Ginny thought she caught the barest flicker of hope in his eyes before it died down.

"I'd still like to be friends," Ginny said honestly, looking towards the wall.

"Good! That's great!" Draco said, and Ginny could tell that behind his almost blank face he was jumping for joy.

"I just am curious about a couple things, Draco," Ginny said, suddenly. He looked at her expectantly.

"Why now? Why me? What are we going to tell everyone? What will everyone thi-" Ginny was cut short by Draco stepping forward and pressing his lips to hers. It was a brief, chaste kiss, but it cause the flustered Ginny to become even more flustered. Her cheeks burned a bright red, and she lost where she was in her long ramble of questions.

His eyes widened as he stepped back, and he rushed to apologize.

"I'm sorry. You're just… you're really pretty when you're worked up…" he finished lamely.

Ginny didn't respond, she just sat there silently for a few moments.

"Can we not tell anyone for a while? Until we know where everything's going and we have a solid friendship? I know your family and the Dream Team aren't going to be too thrilled by us being friends…" Draco asked softly. Ginny broke out of her thoughts and smiled at him.

"I think that would be alright. But, I'm really tired. I'm going back up to my dorm," she said quietly, "you know? That place I was headed before you abducted me?"

They both chuckled, and Ginny made her way out of the room and back up to the dorm. Lying on her bed, she caught herself thinking about that quick kiss, the sudden change in Draco, and their new friendship. She brought her fingers up to her lips and sighed. All of the butterflies that she had been waiting for but had never gotten with Harry had shown up with that simple kiss that Draco had given her.

'This is going to be a hell of a crazy year.'

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